Building Your Calves

**Conrad** · 12-04-2011, 06:07 PM

What is your secret to big calves? Or should I say COWS?

I used to train mine once a week on leg day and always heavy. This past year I made big changed to my workouts and calves being ONE!

**BC123Jm** · 12-04-2011, 06:34 PM

Originally Posted by Conrad

What is your secret to big calves? Or should I say COWS?

synthol

**figgz** · 12-04-2011, 06:51 PM

Calve seem to be more genetic related than any other body part. I know guys who don't train at all and have 19' cows still pinch'd off at the ankles, while there're others such as D Wolf who obviously trains hard yet has the calves of a 12 year old vegitarian.

I've trained mine from once, twice to three times a week to once a month to not training them at all and they pretty much stay the same size no matter what. Only difference I can tell over the years of training them is that they just seem to get more dence a vascular look'n.

**Conrad** · 12-04-2011, 06:53 PM

Originally Posted by BC123Jm

synthol

Yes, that will work too..lol

**ritch** · 12-04-2011, 08:21 PM

your gonna get every single possible answer imaginable in this one. YOu know, my calves have grown since I've stopped training them. I can't believe this. And it's not the first time I notice this.

weird.

**Kaotic** · 12-04-2011, 11:11 PM

Sounds funny but worked GREAT for me! Walk on them toes. (Yes it looks funny, but the results are WORTH it!!!)

**scottt** · 12-04-2011, 11:32 PM

full range of motion

**Skinnyrunt** · 12-10-2011, 05:48 PM

Tried running? Like maybe doing sprints or hard intervals. Or maybe jump rope, focussing on pushing off with your calves as high as possible with each jump?

**txhawkeyes** · 12-10-2011, 07:01 PM

Like I'm an expert, but I am doing them once a week...and supersetting them in with Back, or Chest or something. I don't do them on leg day...too much for one day.

I'm 6'1", and an ecto, and I have to do 250+ calf raises either on a staircase holding a 45...ten per stair for a 100...or on a machine, doing them in lots of 40-45 in a set. I get them sore, about once a month.

It's difficult to get em trained right, so they get sore and build, that's
for sure.

**AndroidHe-man** · 01-30-2012, 11:15 AM

Originally Posted by Kaotic

Sounds funny but worked GREAT for me! Walk on them toes. (Yes it looks funny, but the results are WORTH it!!!)

Amen to that!
I'm 6,4 and have been cursed with rather skinny calves.. I've also tried hitting them several times a week. But the biggest improvement I've noticed, also began showing when i switched to walking on the treadmill, toes first. That and hitting them hard twice a week has been most beneficial for me so far..

**Chevyboy454** · 01-30-2012, 01:26 PM

the thing that's worked best for me is training them heavy in the 8-10 rep range. I usually hit them twice a week on non-leg days, alternating exercises. Day 1 i'll start with standing calf raises then go to seated or leg press raises. Day 2 i'll start with seated or leg press raises then go to standing( mostly single leg on day 2 using db's)

i tried the high rep ranges 20-30, 50 or more and it didn't do much for me other than get a pump going and tiring out my feet. heavier, lower rep ranges while getting a good stretch at the bottom and pause at the top and they started growing.

**weezer** · 01-30-2012, 01:36 PM

i find what works for me is walking .. lots of walking ; i left my car at home and catch the bus; its great because every body walks in the Big Easy!

**LSMUSCL81a** · 01-30-2012, 03:26 PM

keep the pointers coming...i need em all!

**LSMUSCL81a** · 01-30-2012, 03:27 PM

jump rope and running works for me but shin splints always sideline me

**floridairon** · 01-30-2012, 05:17 PM

I heard Palumbo talking on HMR and he said just do one set of standing and one set of seated as heavy as you can for 15 reps! And just do that 2x a week. I did for bout 6 weeks and actually saw results but after about 2 months nothing was changing, so I do that split for 1 month then just do normal 3-4 sets 10ish reps and alternate months.

But again like everyone said calves are mostly genetic

**NEEDTOBUILDMUSCLE.COM** · 01-30-2012, 06:25 PM

IMO, it boils down to overloading, constant tension, amount of time under tension, DEEP strecthes, and training them 3x a week.

**joe d** · 01-31-2012, 02:46 PM

high rep until you cant go no more. 30-60rp

**LSMUSCL81a** · 01-31-2012, 03:37 PM

I have been seeing better results with heavier wt. lower reps, but slow deep controlled reps...i swear a life of running and boxing have equiped me with enduro-calfs

**data4** · 01-31-2012, 07:59 PM

Originally Posted by joe d

high rep until you cant go no more. 30-60rp

I actually rotate in 3 sets of 100 reps on calves about 1 a week or every other week and it has helped although it is a burn that you have to feel to believe.